CHAETOTAXY, BIOMETRY AND BIOLOGY OF A HOLOTYPE: CUNEXA TERMINALAE SP. NOV. COLLECTED FROM TERMINALIA ARJUNA IN SUNDARBANS BIOSPHERE RESERVE.

One new species of genus Cunexa was reported by the author from Sajnekhali Tiger Reserve, within Sundarban Biosphere Reserve, 24-Paraganas (South). The species was collected from Terminalia arjuna. The species was belonging to Cunaxidae family. The species is close to Cunaxa potchensis Den Heyer (1979) but differs in having setae D4 and D5 smooth and not stipulate as well as in Chaetotaxy of palp. It also differs from Cunaxa setirostris (Hermann) in lacking long seta on palptarsus and lacking strong spine like seta on palp genu. Males are not reported by the author. Biology of the species was studied in the laboratory condition on the leaves of Terminalia arjuna. As because the males are not found during the present study, parthenogenetic life cycle was studied in the laboratory condition. It was found that the mean incubation period was 3.45 ? 0.72 (n=10) days. The percentage of hatching was 94.45 ? 0.76 (n=10). The mean duration of Protonymphal stage was 2.46 ? 0.92 days (n=10). The mean duration of deutonymphal stage was 3.06 ? 0.27 days (n=10). The mean egg to adult period was 7.76 ? 0.26 (n=10) days. It was also observed that the percentage of mortality was 31.62 ? 0.42 (n=10). The mean pre-oviposition period was 3.06 ? 0.35 days (n=10). The fecundity in the present study was found to be 17.76? 0.54 eggs. The mean postoviposition period in the present study was 8.22 ? 0.62 (n=10) days. The average adult longevity in female was found to be 14.39 ? 0.76 days (n=10). The Male : Female ratio was found to be 1 : 1.44.